The thousands of junior doctors striking this Tuesday over their pay dispute earn more than double that of starting lawyers, scientists, accountants and architects, a Weekend Herald investigation has discovered.
However, doctors emerge from their six-year university training with the biggest student loan of any profession, and work
longer hours than most graduates.
The investigation into pay, loans and length of study, based on estimates from various industry sources and university figures, shows the doctors start their working careers on a better salary than any other graduates surveyed.
Lawyers start on considerably less money and work similar hours, but their student loan and length of study are far less than doctors.
The number of variables in career choices, training and achievement meant tracking average salaries for various industries over several years could not provide comparable figures.
However, doctors' salaries do increase dramatically with experience, and the trend for many to split their time between the public and private health sectors increases this.
Many medical specialists in New Zealand earn more than $400,000 a year, although extensive experience and ongoing training is required.
The junior doctors are striking for a 13.3 per cent increase in total salary for three years. DHBs are offering 4.25 per cent.
Resident Doctors Association national secretary Dr Deborah Powell has repeatedly said the motivation for demanding the increases came from the junior doctors' desire to stem the flow of New Zealand-trained doctors heading offshore to bigger salaries and better working conditions.
However, bigger offshore salaries are the norm for most professions included in the Weekend Herald survey, and junior doctors spoken to by the paper said their urge to travel would not be eliminated by better salaries.
One junior doctor, speaking anonymously at a National Party health forum on the North Shore last month, said no amount of money would stop junior doctors wanting to travel.
He also cautioned against bonding doctors to New Zealand with schemes to pay off their student loans if they stayed in the country for a certain amount of time. That wouldn't work if the bonding stipulated junior doctors move to towns they didn't like, or got in the way of their international travel plans, he said.
Health Minister David Cunliffe said in Parliament last month he would not cave in to the "unrealistic demands" of the junior doctors.
SUMMARY OF AN ONGOING STRIKE
* More than 2000 junior doctors will strike from 7am Tuesday until 7am Thursday next week.
* Junior doctors want a 30 per cent base-salary increase in their pay over three years. Add other increases in the salary package and their combined claim will lift their pay by 40 per cent over three years - or 13.3 per cent a year.
* DHBs have offered them an overall increase of 4.25 per cent a year. Alternatively, DHBs offered to pay junior doctors an up-front sum of 4.25 per cent to avoid further strikes, followed by an independent commission sponsored by the Ministry of Health to establish terms of reference both the DHBs and the doctors can agree to.
* Last month's two-day strike led to the cancellation of thousands of elective surgery operations around the country.
* It is estimated the strike cost the public health sector - in contingency planning, reimbursing senior doctors for their increased workload and advertising to inform the public of potential delays and dangers - more than $1 million for each day.
* The same financial and health costs are expected from the upcoming strike. Despite continued meetings between the two parties, including emergency meetings this week, a middle ground has not been reached.
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